The total water shortage over the country is nearly 40 billion cubic meters in normal years. Over 400 cities are short of water supply, and 110 cities are suffering from a water crisis. China faces unfavorable water conditions. Jiao Yong, vice minister of water resources, said when launching a large-sized activity on May 18 in which a group of journalists will travel nationwide to cover water conditions and promote the concept of water conservation.

Water has become a strategic question holding back China's sustainable social and economic development, said Jiao, which is shown in the low per capita water resources, the uneven distribution of water resources in time and space, the distinctive changes of season and annual rainfall, the space distribution of water resources that doesn't match with those of land, mineral resources and productivity, the growing supply-demand clash, as well as the sharp decline of water resources in the North

China faces a severe water situation which features lack of resources, waste and pollution, added Jiao.

By People's Daily Online